Picture Craig Biggio at the Cooperstown podium July 28, giving a touching speech about his road to the Hall of Fame, 20-year career, dedication to one city and opinion on old teammate Jeff Bagwell's legacy.

Now picture an empty podium.

Biggio appears the best bet to get elected by the Baseball Writers' Association of America, and Jack Morris has a chance. Election results will be announced Wednesday, and it's possible the 75 percent required for election won't be reached by any of the 37 candidates.

Over and over, we've heard reasons why voters didn't support Barry Bonds or Roger Clemens or Sammy Sosa, citing steroids and the ballot's integrity and character clause, but the reasons for not voting for Biggio don't hold much weight.

Might have used steroids.

No defining moments.

Didn't dominate the era.

All silly arguments. Unlike Bonds, Clemens and Sosa, Biggio was not linked to performance-enhancing drugs, and his accomplishments are obvious. He collected more than 3,000 hits and 400 steals, and his 688 doubles are the most by any right-handed hitter in history.

He played three positions well, and was an All-Star as both a second baseman and catcher. That he played his entire career in Houston and was considered a good teammate who did all he could to win games (even if it meant getting plunked 285 times) further supports his candidacy.

Even if Biggio, a first-timer on the ballot, or Morris, who received 66.7 percent of the vote last year, are named Hall of Famers on Wednesday, the big story won't be who'll get in. It'll be who won't.

Bonds, Clemens, Sosa. Not to mention Mark McGwire, an admitted user, and Rafael Palmeiro, who failed a PED test. Along with Mike Piazza and Bagwell, suspected users despite the lack of paper trails.

It's the ballot that for years the baseball world anticipated. And, in some cases, fretted. Players are eligible five years after retirement, and Bonds, Clemens, Sosa and Piazza all played their final games in 2007.

As did Biggio.

"It's just one of those things you don't control," Biggio told the Houston Chronicle of the election results, which will be announced by Hall President Jeff Idelson at 11 a.m. PST. "The resume has already been submitted, and you just hope it was good enough for the writers. We'll take this year first, and we'll go from there. I'm just living in the present, and I'm not going to look down the road right now."

The last time no player was elected by the writers was 1996. But that year, manager Earl Weaver and pitcher Jim Bunning were elected by the Veterans Committee and honored during the Cooperstown induction.

This year's induction could be the first since 1965 in which no one living is honored. The Veterans Committee elected three men - catcher Deacon White, Yankees owner Jacob Ruppert and umpire Hank O'Day - all of whom will be honored posthumously.

Asked about the mood in Cooperstown, Idelson said, "There's great anticipation as there is every year. Given the star-studded ballot, there's a heightened awareness."

Attendance would take a hit at the induction if no one is named off the BBWAA ballot, but Idelson said, "A number of fans travel anyway because having 50 or more Hall of Famers in town is a phenomenal reunion of living legends of the game."

Asked if the Hall has discussed changing the voting process, which has taken a beating of late, Idelson said, "No. We remain very happy with the process. Writers have shown by and large great due diligence with the exercise. You can't walk through our plaque gallery and find someone who doesn't belong."

Even if it takes at least another year for the writers to vote someone into that gallery?

"There's always someone on the ballot worthy of consideration," Idelson said. "When you talk about a snapshot in time, it's a singular moment. But in Hall of Fame voting, a snapshot in time is 15 years. To pass judgment on a single election doesn't make a lot of sense."

A player can be on the ballot as many as 15 years so long as he receives at least 5 percent of the votes. This is Morris' 14th year. It's Dale Murphy's 15th.

As for Bonds and Clemens, the greatest hitter and pitcher of the era, one with seven MVP awards, the other with seven Cy Young awards, it appears they must wait another year.